Maelstrom's Guardian
by BloodyKangaroo
Summary: Naruto makes an unusual discovery on the night of the Miziki incident. Soon after all manner of evil spirits started hunting him. Soon after a mysterious girl arrives claiming an old promise to protect him. and brings a lot of unintended chaos with her.


A second older Idea I want to try again. Asking for a pitch if you've got a set up for the following three. Shizuku, Kuesu(No arranged marriage suggestions), Tama. Any other's with a suggestion helps get them in and I don't need one but it'll speed the process up if anyone can give me an idea.

* * *

><p>A girl with light brown hair tied on the sides with red ribbons and bright yellow eyes wearing a yellow vest over a white shirt and a green pleated skirt pushed open the door to an apartment and walked in with an energetic shout of. "Good morning Naruto kun!"<p>

A blond young man with three whisker like marks on each cheek lying in a bed curled up under the sheets and grumbled about it being too early. The girl put a hand to her forehead and clearly became angry though a smile remained.

"Naruto kun if you don't wake up I'm going to have to rain my Rin chan fists on you." She said.

Naruto didn't move. She glared at him and sighed as she walked over and brought down a light rain of punches that barely fazed the sleeping blond. She glared as finally a hand snagged her wrist and pulled her down and Naruto wrapped his arms and a leg around her. She struggled to break loose as Naruto's grip tightened.

"Ranmaru get him." She shouted.

A white and brown cat that had seated himself on the counter leapt into the air. He landed no Naruto's face and Naruto simply pushed the cat aside. A light clinking sound was heard as a cup of ramen Ranmaru had disturbed fell from the counter and Naruto's eyes shot open and in the blink of an eye was plucking the cup of ramen out of the air.

He looked around quickly before turning back and asking. "Rinko why are you in my bed?"

She looked at him indignantly and crawled out his bed. "You can't hear shouting but a cup of noodles moves and you're all over it."

"Huh?" Naruto asked checking the expiration date on the cup. "Damn it past."

A bop to the head with a loaded school bag got his attention. He looked up at Rinko.

"You're going to be late for your exam." She said.

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at his alarm clock or rather the pile of scrap where his alarm clock once was. He ran to a small drawer that he pulled open and grabbed out an orange and black jacket and orange pants. He started getting dressed as he bolted for the door. Rinko sighed as she walked out the door behind him. She had lived down the hall from the blond since they were twelve and walked to school together since she got into high school and they found out it was along the way to the academy. Naruto had tried to get out of it when he found out she was getting nasty looks for hanging out with him and got a good chewing out for his trouble.

Naruto slowed down as he hit the door and let her catch up as he with a light nod. He tried to think of places he could eat along the way to the academy from Rinko's school. It wasn't much trouble to pick seeing how he didn't have his wallet and only one small restaurant owned by a retired Akimichi had let him open a tab since in the owner's words "If you don't pay it the Hokage will." He had never missed a bill since and the owner seemed to be one of the people that were actually okay with him. Possibly because he woke up late every morning and became the only person to eat from the breakfast menu.

He walked hands behind his head alongside the girl as an expression of disgust crossed his face. There was a good reason no one ate that breakfast menu after all.

Rinko looked at him and said. "You know if you keep making that face I might think you don't want me around."

"Ah sorry I was just thinking about breakfast." He said.

"You know if you'd wake up earlier you wouldn't have to eat there." She said. "Or at least put your wallet on the dresser so you could afford somewhere else."

Naruto stared at her dumbly and said. "You're a genius. Why didn't I think of that?"

Rinko giggled as he walked forward in a daze and ran head first into a street light and fell on his ass. She stuck a hand out to help him up. He took it as the duo walked along and as was custom Rinko walked a little closer than was comfortable and as was custom Naruto wondered silently why she always walked so close to him. He waved good bye as she walked through the gate to the civilian high school she attended. He continued along the road by himself not stopping till he reached a small wooden shack with a series of white flags hanging outside the door that read "Akamichi Okonomiyaki." The old man who ran the place still hadn't told him why he had a breakfast menu.

About two minutes later he was running down the street with a fried egg sandwich clutched between his teeth and two sardines dangling between his fingers. He ran past an alley with a small white cat that he tossed the fish at.

He pulled out the sandwich and shouted to the cat. "Sorry can't stop today I'm late."

Naruto ran stuffing the whole sandwich in his mouth and devouring the whole thing in one bite. He swallowed it with disgusted look and shook his head.

"Damn those are nasty." He said.

As he approached a large red wooden gate in a white concrete fence and ran through the gate. He slowed down once inside let slip just how nervous he really was. It lasted until he made it to the front door and a squinted as a fox like grin formed on his face. He walked through the halls and entered a class room full of people who gave him a bored cursory glance and then ignored him as he sat down in the last available seat.

He sat frozen waiting for a test that somewhere in the back of his mind he knew was pointless. It was bunshin no jutsu his worst technique and he was terrible at that one. Well if he was honest with himself it was more like he was terrible at most ninja skills and was completely incapable of that one. Naruto shook his head slightly as a man with tanned skin and a scar along his face in a blue shirt and pants with a green flak jacket and a blue head band with a metal plate with a stylized leaf on it walked into the room with a clip board in hand.

"The test will be held in the next room. I'll call you one by one first. Aburame Shino." The man said.

The man left with a student in a grey hoodie, a black coat shirt with a collar covering his mouth and pants underneath and a pair of sunglasses followed him. Naruto watched him leave and mentally ticked off the one of thirty he was five from the end so he'd have plenty of time to stress out before his turn. He sat quietly getting more and more nervous as he counted down to himself.

"Haruno Sakura."

A girl with long pink hair and green eyes in a red shirt and pink skirt with black shorts underneath went.

"Fifteen to go." Naruto thought.

"Nara Shikamaru."

A bored student with a spiky up pointed pony tail in a mesh shirt grey jacket and pants walked out of the room muttering through a yawn. "Troublesome."

"Seven more." Naruto thought worriedly.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

A student with black spiky hair in a blue kimono shirt with a red and white fan on the back walked out of the room quietly as every girl in the room watched with hearts in their eyes.

"I'm next." Naruto thought barely stopping himself from shivering violently.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto stood slowly and walked through the door narrowly avoiding running into the last guy to leave now wearing a head band just like the scar nosed man. He walked into the neighboring room with the tanned instructor seated next to another man in an identical uniform only this one was pail with white hair and a bandana I stead of a head band.

"Okay Naruto begin." The tan instructor said.

Naruto put his hands together in a ram seal and a circle of blue light formed around him. Lines arced over him and swirled around and a meaningless shout came from the blond. A large puff of smoke formed and as it cleared two things became visible first Naruto and second a washed out sickly looking imitation of the blond laying on the floor.

Naruto looked at the thing sadly as hung his head in defeat. Well there was always next year right?

"I'm sorry Naruto you fail." The scared man said in a restrained professional tone.

"Oh come on Iruka this is his third try." The other man said. "Can't we just pass him?"

A split second of misplaced hope flashed across Naruto's mind for only a second. He crushed it the second Iruka spoke.

"You know we can't." The chuunin said.

Naruto simply turned and walked away wondering if he'd pass the next year. He had to pass to prove he was worth something and besides he didn't really have a choice to not be a ninja since no one else would hire him. Leaving the village was out of the question even if he had money there was nowhere to go and he wouldn't leave the old man and Rinko.

He skipped going back into class not wanting to be the only one to return with no head band. Naruto hung his head and went out to the door and walked out of the gate leaping onto a roof. Once he was sure he was out of sight he curled up and began to mope. He stayed unmoving with only his third failure on his mind unmoving until the sun had started to set. He vaguely heard the mockery of several of the graduates laughing about how he was the only one of thirty to flunk. He didn't think they knew he was there but it wouldn't have stopped them if they had.

"Ah there you are Naruto." A voice said.

Naruto turned his attention to the source the white haired chuunin from the test.

"Mizuki sensei what is it?" Naruto asked.

"Would you like to know a secret?" Mizuki asked.

"What kind of secret?" Naruto asked.

"There is a make-up exam." Mizuki said.

Naruto stared up at him wide eyed attention focused solely on the white haired jounin.

"All you have to do is break into the Hokage's tower, steal the sacred scroll of sealing, and learn one of the moves from it." Mizuki said.

Naruto listened intently as Mizuki explained everything he'd need to know for dealing with the scroll where to find it, when it would be unguarded, where he could train to learn the move before the time limit everything. Naruto bolted off in excitement not noticing the smirk on Mizuki's face.

That night Naruto approached the Hokage's tower slowly from the shadows. A single open window was all he needed to get in unnoticed. He quickly found the room and began scanning the shelves for the scroll he was looking for. As he reached up for the one he had come for a light flicked on and he turned.

"Naruto what are you doing here at this hour?" Asked an old man in a white and red robe walking into the room.

Naruto thought fast forming a ram seal and in a puff of smoke the boy was replaced by a busty, curvy, blonde girl with two long pigtails and only smoke to cover her nude form. The Hokage was immediately downed by the nose bleed that followed. The girl turned back into Naruto who plucked the scroll off the shelf and ran for it.

Naruto hopped through the branches of the forests surrounding his village. His legs working overtime as he mentally checked off the parts of the test he had already accomplished. He landed on the ground and immediately opened the scroll.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Naruto read aloud. "Oh man Bunshins again."

With a resigned sigh he got to work trying to master the technique.

Mizuki pounded on the door of an apartment. The door opened and Iruka stepped out.

"Mizuki what is it?" He asked.

"It's Naruto he's stolen the forbidden scroll!" Mizuki in alarm.

Iruka's eyes widened in terror as he stared. "What?"

Mizuki explained quickly that Naruto had taken the scroll as revenge for failure. The tan chuunin took off.

"I'd better check the woods." Iruka thought.

Naruto fell back breathing heavily and smiling. Someone landed behind him and he slowly turned around. Iruka was glaring down at him as he sat there.

"Ah man you found me already." Naruto said. "And I've only learned one technique."

Iruka's impending angry tirade was cut off by the surprise of what he had just heard. He looked at Naruto who was sweating and covered in dirt.

"Has he been training out here the whole time?" Iruka wondered. "What are you talking about?"

"The make-up exam." Naruto said. "Mizuki sensei told me about it take the scroll of sealing, learn a technique from it, and show it to you and I pass."

"Naruto there is no such exam." Iruka said as he put two and two together.

Mizuki now with a pair of shurikan so wide in diameter that with one point lined up with his neck the opposite point lined up with waste landed on a branch just outside of the clearing and looked down at Naruto. The blond looked up at him questioningly.

"Naruto good job you passed now give me the scroll." Mizuki said.

"Don't do it." Iruka said.

"Mizuki why did you tell Naruto to steal the scroll?" Iruka asked.

Mizuki didn't answer he simply stood still for a moment before chuckling evilly and reaching for his shurikan. Iruka reached for a kunai and prepared for a fight.

Mizuki began chuckling evilly. "Naruto would you like to know another secret. A real one this time."

"Mizuki don't!" Iruka shouted.

Naruto stared at him unspeaking.

"Almost sixteen years ago a Kyuubi no Youko attacked the village. However it was stopped by the Forth Hokage sacrificing himself to seal it in a baby. That baby was you! You're the Kyuubi no Youko!" Mizuki shouted twirling the large shurikan. "That's why everyone hates you!"

Naruto stared at Mizuki in shock.

"Now die monster!" Mizuki shouted as he hurled the blade at the defenseless blond.

Iruka through himself in front of the blond to intercept the hit but to his and Mizuki's surprise Naruto tripped him out of the way. The shurikan pierced Naruto's chest and the blond fell back with a blade in his lung. Iruka stared in shock for a moment. Then shock turned to rage and he drew a kunai charging Mizuki.

******************************************Scene*** ***********************************

Naruto lay on his back in eyes shut floating in water. "Huh I always thought you were supposed to go to the banks of the sanzu river."

His eyes opened and he looked up to see a concrete roof and walls. "Great the afterlife is a giant sewer."

He stood up surrounded by water and looking the area. An absurdly large sewer tunnel that went on seemingly forever in the four directions he could see with off branch tunnels.

"What sins gets you the living as a piece of shit after life?" Naruto asked looking around. Thinking on his life there really only was one thing that made any sense with this punishment. "Maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much ramen. Nah that's just crazy talk."

Suddenly he caught a glimpse of a silvery blur pass through the sewers. He blinked once and ran after it at full speed. He ran through the sewers following the grey blur as it bolted around the corners never getting a good look at it. He eventually followed it to a stared case which he saw it run up and followed. He came out inside what looked to be a long hall way when and looking down both halls ran to the right following a brief glimpse of grey and white.

He saw it pass out a door and ran out covering his eyes for a second from the intense light. Opening them he found himself outside in a palace court yard in the middle of the day. Naruto walked out staring around in amazement as he walked towards center and finally got a good look at the blur for the first time. It was a silver fox the size of Akamaru with two long calmly waving tails.

"So we meet at last de gozaru." The fox said.

"Huh?" Naruto asked. This couldn't be Kyuubi could it? There weren't nearly enough tails. "Who are you?

"I'm you de gozaru." The fox said.

Naruto stared at his face showing that the explanation was as clear as mud to him. The fox looked up and started to explain.

"I'm part of you born of your mind trying to protect itself from an influx of new instincts and knowledge. The knowledge released when you entered the near death state you're currently in as our body released a power it had been subconsciously suppressing for our safety." The fox said. "The power of our Kitsune blood."

"Kitsune? Like the Kyuubi?" Naruto asked.

"No." The fox replied tone low and cold. "Not like that thing. Nothing like that thing"

Naruto stared at it in surprise.

"Ah but a better explanation will have to wait for now." The fox said. "You're still in danger and until something is done about the man who attempted to kill you."

Naruto flinched and held a hand to the spot on his chest the wound should have been.

"As we speak the shurikan has been removed and your wounds healed but until the attacker is dealt with we can still be killed." The fox explained as blue and white fire started to radiate outward.

"What how?" Naruto asked as the flame engulfed him.

"That is our power." The fox explained. "The power of T."

**************************************Scene******* ***********************************

Iruka was down breathing heavily with several cuts. Mizuki stood across from him twirling the second shurikan and only slightly less injured. He prepared to hurl the blade when something he hadn't expected ever to happen did. Naruto wreathed in blue and white fire landed between him and Iruka with a cold glare leveled at him.

"How the hell?" He asked quietly. He started noticing weird differences while the color was hidden by fire Naruto had quiet plainly sprouted to long tails waving calmly behind him and to pointed triangular ears on his head.

"So back from the dead are you fox." Mizuki asked. "What a shame returning just to die.

Naruto ignored the taunt to distracted by something that hadn't been there before an Iridescent light covering everything that was moving a few seconds ahead. He saw as the light imitating Mizuki's arm and shurikan moved before the real thing he watched the arm arc and followed the light shurikan fly followed its path and passed harmlessly through his neck.

When the real Mizuki followed he watched as he simply knew what path the shurikan would take and casually ducked leaving the shurikan to pass harmlessly overhead. Mizuki and Iruka stared in shock as Naruto stood back up and glared at Mizuki. Mizuki reached back for a kunai as Naruto ran at him. The blonde saw the light arm pass through his head and tilted to the side evading the real thing. A swift upper cut to the chin on the surprised Chuunin finished what Iruka had started knocking him out cold.

Iruka stared in amazement at what Naruto had accomplished completely missing the blond appearing next to him. He completely missed Naruto getting right next to him.

"Are you okay Iruka sensei?" Naruto asked worriedly.

Iruka smiled and said. "Yeah I'll be fine. Naruto close your eyes."

Naruto did just that as he sighed in relief. He felt something pressed to his forehead .

"Okay you can open them now." Iruka said.

Naruto opened his eyes and found Iruka missing his head band. He slowly reached up and touched his head feeling the cloth and steel he sat staring in disbelief for a second before smiling and jumping into the air one fist raised and shouted.

"Yes!"


End file.
